Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Term Low Birth Weight Neonates in Public Health Institutions of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia :A Case-Control Study.
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Date
2013-09
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Birth weight plays an important role in infant morbidity, mortality, development, and future health of the child. Weight at birth is directly influenced by general level of health status of the mother. Maternal environment is the most important determinant of birth weight. Despite the profusion of many researches there are considerable confusions and controversies about the factors that have independent effects on low birth weight. Moreover, most of the studies conducted do not exclude preterm babies who are biologically exposed of being with low birthweight.Therefore, studying the maternal risk factors for only term low birth weight neonates will be more helpful in identifying the specific associated modifiable factors.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine maternal risk factors associated with low birth weight among term neonates in selected public health facilities of Addis Ababa city government.
Methods: Facility based unmatched case-control study was carried out from April to July 2013.Mothers’ of 139 low birth weight (<2500gm: cases) and 278 normal birth weight (≥2500gm: controls) neonates were included in the study from randomly selected public health institutions of Addis Ababa. Information on socio-demographic, nutritional status, obstetric factors, domestic violence, depression & life style were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire through face to face interview, actual measurements and record review.Data were entered and analyzed using Epi Info and SPSS statistical packages respectively.
Descriptiveandanalyticstatisticalcomputations were made and P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The Mean birth weight among the cases and controls were2199.5gm (S.D±252.79) and 3229.98 (S.D±449.73) respectively. In the final model, less than 4 ANC visits (AOR: 2.76, 95%CI 1.32-5.77), not taking iron-folic acid supplementation (AOR: 2.89, 95%CI: 1.32-6.34), gestational weight gain less than 8.0 Kg (AOR: 7.01, 95%CI: 3.31-14.78), maternal Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) less than 23cm (AOR: 1.94, 95%CI: 1.01-3.73), maternal height less than 155cm (AOR: 2.74, 95%CI: 1.32-5.66), antenatal depression of any degree (AOR: 3.45, 95%CI: 1.29-9.23) and domestic violence of any type (AOR: 6.45, 95%CI 2.41-17.28) were found to be statistically significant with term low birth weight.
Conclusions and recommendations: With all the strengths and limitations of the study we can conclude there are factors associated with term low birth weight such as, ANC, iron supplementation, MUAC, Height depression and violence. It may not be possible to address all these issues at once, but early and optimum antenatal visits by prospective mothers, conducting awareness programs through the mass media focusing on proper nutritional care during
pregnancy could alleviate many of these problems.
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Keywords
LBW, Full term, maternal risk factors, case-control and public health institutions of Addis Ababa